Blessings
by Kimmychu
Summary: Flack and Danny show each other how much they mean to one another, in their own special way. A Christmas holiday season story.


**Blessings**

Fandom: CSI:NY

Author: Kimmychu

Rating: FRAO (Of the out-of-this-world kind.)

Pairing: Danny/Flack

Content Warning: Romance and schmoop up the wazoo.

Spoilers: Nothing notable. Major spoilers only for my story, **Nine Months**.

Summary: Flack and Danny show each other how much they mean to one another, in their own special way. A Christmas / holiday season story.

Disclaimer: Danielle belongs to me, the mischievous, adorable thing. Oh, and her daddies do too. _Whaaat?_

Author's Notes: This is written for a reader who requested for a Christmas story with Danny and Flack, and an original character from my story, **Nine Months**. If you've read that before, you'll know who I'm refering to. The irony was that when I posted a drabble request meme, that was exactly what I thought I'd write, drabbles. But I should have known better, friggin' perfectionist that I am. And when the right plot bunny bites me, the words just come pouring out. I hope the reader who requested this likes it, as well as you.

**Oooo.oooO**

It was snowing outside, a shower of pure white.

Some of the white flakes drifted towards the windows of the living area and bonded themselves to the glass panes, like tiny, stationary stars in a sea of comets in the night. The colorful Christmas lights hung along the sides of the windows caused the snowflakes to be equally multihued. Inside the apartment, it was dim, the shadows brightened by the glare of the switched on television and a lamp beside the dark brown couch in the middle of the living room.

And at the moment, a certain homicide detective had better things to occupy himself with than stare at falling snow or watch television.

Flack was sprawled on his back on the aforementioned couch. One of his long legs was hanging off the side, while the other was touching the back of the sofa. Danny lay between them, grinding their groins together with sinuous twists of his hips. Flack would have uttered his immense appreciation of his lover's flexibility, if it wasn't for Danny's lips molded to his, or Danny's tongue dueling with his.

Danny was murmuring something under his breath. Flack couldn't tell what it was, although the shorter man's lips were so close they moved directly against his own.

"What are ya sayin', babe?" Flack whispered. He planted butterfly kisses along the line of Danny's defined lower jaw. "I can't hear ya."

The CSI moaned, then got onto his elbows with some reluctance. He gazed down at Flack with warm, crinkled blue eyes.

"Ya know … I kinda expected ya to be a lot _older_, Santa," Danny said with heavy-lidded eyes.

Flack laughed. He glanced downwards at himself. Yep, he might have looked like the regular Santa Claus an hour or so ago, but thanks to Danny's roving hands, he appeared more like some guy in a Santa costume doing a Christmas Playgirl photoshoot instead. The red jacket with its white fur was spread open at his sides, exposing his broad chest, flat belly and his dark blue boxers. His red trousers was unzipped, pushed down to his thighs, bunched up around his shins due to the black boots on his feet. His fake beard was probably lying somewhere on the floor behind the couch.

As for his Santa hat, it had somehow hopped from his head to the other man's. It sat lopsided to the left, folded in the middle so the white ball of fur on its tip swung from side to side every time Danny shook his head.

"Yeah, well, the beard's just a cover up, don'tcha know?" Flack winked at Danny. Licked his lips, casting an intense stare up at his lover.

_Damn_, did Danny look edible and hilariously cute with those plastic, stick-on elf ears or what.

"So am I the _only_ elf who's seen the real you?" Danny pouted and leaned his chin on his left palm, eyes twinkling.

Flack's handsome face split into a wide grin.

"Lemme put it this way …" He stroked his hands across the swells of the CSI's buttocks underneath the man's loosened, olive green robe. "Santa _always_ gets the best."

Danny smirked. "_Oooh_, and what does _Mrs. Santa _have to say 'bout that, huh?" He wriggled on top of Flack, thrusting his bottom against Flack's hands, wordlessly encouraging the homicide detective to roam between his legs.

"Mrs. Santa's havin' an affair with Rudolph," Flack said into Danny's slender neck as he used one hand to draw the smaller man back down onto him. The other slid between their bodies, wrapping itself around Danny's hardening erection.

"Rudolph … the red-nosed … _reindeer?_" Danny's hoarse question ended with a low moan. He got onto his knees, nuzzling his face into the crook between Flack's neck and shoulder. Now, Danny's buttocks were up in the air, no less appealing for being covered by his robe.

"Nope." The homicide detective began pumping his hand. "Rudolph the red-nose _Russian_."

Danny let out a husky chuckle. He struggled back onto his elbows, his eyes slitted from the pleasure rippling from his groin where Flack's hands were deftly fondling him.

"Well, that … that explains … _a lot_." The CSI laughed once more, then gasped loud. "Oh, _fuck_ -"

It was Flack's turn to chuckle. He rubbed his thumb hard against the underside of the shorter man's cock a second time, beneath the head. It was one of Danny's most sensitive erogenous spots, he knew that. "That felt _good_, huh?"

Danny groaned into his neck.

Flack could feel Danny's thighs trembling. He ran his free hand up Danny's lower back to his shoulder blades under the man's robe, reveling in the feel of smooth skin. He closed his eyes and planted a kiss on Danny's bristly cheek. _God_, he'd missed his lover like crazy. Two weeks of scarcely seeing each other due to working overtime on separate cases had felt like two eons.

"Don … I -"

A gurgle and a faint cry suddenly filled the air of the living area.

In an instant, Danny shot to a sitting position, the taller man's hands hidden under folds of green cloth between his legs. The Santa hat virtually flew off the smaller detective's head and onto the floor somewhere past Flack's feet and the sofa. His right shoulder became bared as the robe slipped open.

"Did ya hear that?" Danny asked, his eyes sharp and alert.

"Yeah. I _think_ I did."

Both men revolved their heads in unison to look at the baby monitor on the low table in front of the couch. The walkie-talkie device shaped like a teddy bear didn't emit any more sounds, and they waited in silence for a few moments to see if they had only been hearing things.

Eight seconds ticked by.

Then, the baby monitor crackled indistinctly. The sound of a baby's wail emanating from it was irrefutable.

"Danielle," Danny murmured. He slid off the sofa onto his feet, rearranging and tying his robe close with the cloth belt around the waist. "Maybe she had a bad dream or somethin'."

"Do six-month-old babies _have _dreams?" Flack pushed himself upright and started to button up his jacket as well as pull up his pants. He yanked off his boots. They were getting somewhat uncomfortable.

The CSI was already striding across the living room towards the closed door of their baby girl's bedroom. Danny glanced back at Flack and simply sent him a small grin. Added with the plastic elf ears still stuck to the guy's ears, the impish smile made Flack blink a couple of times. Geez, perhaps Danny had been a _real_ elf in a past life or something.

By the time the homicide detective had redressed himself and reached Danielle's half-open bedroom door, Danny had their daughter cuddled tight in his arms. A single lamp in the corner of the room radiated a warm orange glow onto the toys left on the floor, the baby cot, as well as the walls that were covered in an endearing wallpaper of various baby animals.

"Hey, sweetie … it's okay." Danny gently tugged the pastel-colored blanket closer around the fidgeting dark-haired baby. "I'm here."

Danielle's discontented burbles dwindled into silence when Danny sat in the white rocking chair next to the crib. With one push at the carpeted floor using his toes, he got the chair moving back and forth at a languid pace.

"Ya _like_ that, huh?" Danny chuckled, closing his eyes for a second as Danielle rubbed at his upper face with a small, chubby hand. She giggled back, and stretched out her other hand to pat Danny's cheeks instead.

Flack propped himself against the doorway, hushed, a loving smile etched on his handsome features. He noticed that the stick-on elf ears were gone from Danny's real ones.

Something inside his chest clenched at the sight of the other man placing raspberry kisses on their baby girl's tiny hands and fingers. It was such a forceful feeling that he had to hold his breath and grip at the door knob until his knuckles were white.

"_Oh_, I see, ya just wanted a _cuddle_," Danny murmured, caressing his daughter's round, rosy cheeks with a forefinger.

Danielle just burbled her baby talk and smiled.

"Ya cry so _little_," Danny continued in a mellifluous tone. "I know I shouldn't even complain 'bout that, but it gets me _worried_ sometimes, ya know?" He sighed. "Sometimes I think _I'm_ the one who's got separation anxiety instead."

The ends of Flack's lips curled up in an empathetic smile. His lover wasn't the only one who became anxious and vexed at the mere thought of being parted from their little girl.

Danielle gurgled some more, her large, blue eyes widening in attentiveness. She touched Danny's goateed chin with the tip of her fingers.

"I _know_, I know, you're a _special_ little girl." Danny's own blue eyes crinkled in great fondness. "Maybe someday, I'll tell ya 'bout them one-eyed, green aliens from some galaxy _far_, far away. Yer daddy and I would never have had ya if it wasn't for them. Imagine that, huh?"

Flack couldn't help grinning upon being reminded of those very aliens who set the course to his present life over a year ago. If he remembered right, they called themselves the _Deeediifriicks _or something like that, and that they came from some galaxy called the _Toookseeeaas-Ai_ galaxy. How he managed to remember that didn't really surprise him.

It wasn't every day that he got paid a visit by one-eyed, eight-armed extraterrestrials with green skin who got his _boyfriend_ pregnant, thanks to some baby-making invention of theirs.

"Did ya enjoy yerself at the YMCA tonight, _hmm?_" Danny murmured to their baby. "Daddy was _great_ as Santa Claus, wasn't he? Givin' out all those gifts to those kids … The only reason I haven't strangled him tonight is because I got to see Stella and Hawkes in elf suits too."

Danielle giggled loudly at that.

Flack had to bite his lower lip to stay quiet. He still couldn't believe Danny actually caved in and went along with him to the YMCA, garbed as one of Santa's _elves_. Pointy hat, shoes, ears and all. He couldn't even _think_ about the dark green tights without wanting to explode in manic laughter. Nevertheless, he had to admit Danny had the legs and butt to pull them off with style. Even Stella, who looked _amazing_ in the same costume, agreed on that. Hawkes didn't look too bad in the attire either.

The homicide detective carried on watching his other half and their daughter from where he stood at the doorway. He was certain that Danny knew he was there, but for some reason, he was very hesitant to enter the room. It was rare to see the shorter detective so calm and at peace. Yet another perfect moment in time for him to add to his mental rolodex of memories filled with love.

Danielle's eyelids were beginning to flutter. Danny was holding one of her hands between his fingers, stroking it with his thumb. The rocking chair continued to move back and forth, the motion maintained by Danny's bare feet pushing at the floor.

Danny was silent for a while before speaking in a muted timbre once more.

"We got all the Christmas presents ready under the tree for everybody comin' over tomorrow … but ya know what?" The CSI lightly tapped Danielle on her small, pert nose. "_You're_ the best Christmas gift I'll ever have."

The dark-haired, blue-eyed baby sent Danny a huge, toothless grin, and babbled something inarticulate in a high-pitched voice. He returned the smile, then lifted her up to kiss her on her forehead.

"I love you _too_," Danny whispered while he nuzzled one plump cheek. "Yes, I _do_."

Flack had to blink numerous times to clear his vision.

It was some time before the homicide detective came into the bedroom, once Danny had tucked a somnolent Danielle back into her beige-colored cot. He wrapped his arms around the shorter man from behind, breathing in the scent of Danny's freshly washed hair.

"_Strangle_ me, huh?" Flack said with a smile into Danny's hair.

"I don't wear a freakin' elf suit for just _anybody_, ya know," Danny answered, his attractive face livened up by a smirk.

Flack tightened his embrace. "Well, then, I oughta take that as a compliment, hmm?"

Danny snickered mildly in reply.

They stood together as one beside the wooden crib, watching Danielle's big, blue eyes close in slumber. Then, Flack reached into the cot to stroke her round head and ruffle the fine, silky curls there. His visage broke into a broad smile, as it always did whenever he got to express his affection for his baby girl. Heh, she certainly inherited his hair.

He stroked her cheek, marveling at the smoothness and vibrancy beneath his fingers. It was indescribable how much strength and hope infused his very being just by the sight and smell and touch of his daughter. One look, one smile, and he had the power to conquer the whole universe.

Flack drew in a deep breath.

It was true.

He was the luckiest son of a gun in existence.

"I used to be so mad at my mom for being clingy," Danny said. "She would _watch_ over me all the time, and ask me what I was _doin'_ and whether I was _okay_ and all that."

Flack straightened up and turned to face the other man. He waited for Danny to continue, content to stare at the CSI's unguarded features.

Danny chuckled to himself. "It used to drive me _nuts_. I kept thinkin' I had to be the only boy in the world who had such an overprotective mom. Even my _dad_ got that way sometimes. Or maybe it was because I was the younger son and Louie … well." He kept gazing down at their sleeping baby, appearing to be lost in contemplation. "When I became a teenager, I got even more annoyed by it, ya know?" He shrugged. "I was a _man_ already. Didn't need mommy to look out for me, could take care of myself just fine. But back then …"

The homicide detective enveloped his arms around Danny again. He kissed Danny once on the forehead. "But back then what?"

Danny leaned into the hug, nestling his face into Flack's long neck. Flack heard him sigh.

"Back then … I didn't have a child of my own, did I?"

Flack smiled into Danny's tousled hair. "And now?"

A minute passed in comfortable silence. Flack rubbed the shorter man's back, waiting for a reply. He was a patient guy. He knew it was never easy for Danny to be forthright about his innermost thoughts, even to him. It had taken _years_ just for them to come clean with each other about their feelings. Didn't help either that Danny used to be so paranoid about the other CSIs learning about their relationship. It had all abruptly come out into the light when Stella and Hawkes discovered Danny was pregnant by means that were truly out of this world.

And against every likelihood, the rest of the team were accepting of their relationship, including the new girl from Montana. She had been the last one to know about Danielle, but she had no hard feelings about it. Danielle had a way of winning over the hearts of everything that got within her range. _Everything_.

Danny enclosed his own arms around Flack's waist.

"Now … I know how my parents feel 'bout me."

Flack squeezed the other man closer to him in a bear hug. He didn't say anything. Danny had already spoken for the both of them.

**Oooo.oooO**

"You're gonna _love_ this." Flack took out the shimmering disc from its plastic casing and placed it into the tray of the DVD player. "And by the way, you owe me ten bucks."

Danny let out a surprised laugh. "_What? _How's that so?"

Flack glanced back at the CSI who lounged on the couch, and grinned. "We made a bet that I couldn't get a _fireplace_ in here, right?"

"Uh huh." Danny crossed his arms over his chest, smirking. "A _lit_ fireplace." He made a dramatic display of turning his head from side to side and even behind him, searching for the elusive fireplace. "_Well_. I sure don't see any fireplace 'round, Don. Seems to me like _you_ owe _me_ ten bucks."

The homicide detective sniggered. Oh, Danny had no clue he'd already lost the bet.

"_Ohhh_, it's _here_, alright," Flack said in a low voice.

He pressed the play button.

The television screen went black for a second. Then, it flickered to life again.

Flack pivoted around to see Danny's reaction to what was playing on the screen.

The shorter detective's blue eyes were wide, and so was his mouth, shaped in a large 'O'.

"What the -"

One moment, Danny was inclined forward and staring at the television like it was the Holy Grail. The next moment, he was hurling himself back onto the sofa, laughing his head off in amusement to the point he was grabbing at his sides and kicking his legs.

"What did I _tell_ ya, huh?" Flack rested his fists on his hips, holding his head up high in a pose of victory. He felt warm and tingly even though his blue boxers was his sole piece of worn clothing. It was nice that their apartment's heating was fantastic. "The ten bucks is _mine_, Messer."

"That's - that's _cheatin'!_" Danny forced out between laughs. He had gone from a sitting position to being curled up on his side on the cushions, shoulders still shaking. "That's just a _video _of a fireplace! _Cheatin'!_"

Flack studied the looping movie of the Victorian-like fireplace with its orange-yellow flames on the screen, then looked at Danny and said, "And yer point _is?_"

"It doesn't count!" Danny was grinning.

"Never said anythin' 'bout it bein' a _real_ fireplace." Flack made a smug face. "Ah _haaaaah_."

That got Danny laughing once more, which got Flack chortling too. The CSI's laughter was mighty contagious. Especially when all the guy was wearing was his robe. And it was slipping off his shoulders and bunching up around his arms because he was wriggling around on the couch so much.

"Yeah, I'm the King of Loop Holes, _baaaaaabeee!_" Flack said even as he dived towards the couch, intent on prolonging Danny's cheerful mood as much as possible. He landed on the other man with an, "_Oof!_", and Danny succeeded in poking him in the sides a few times before he seized Danny's wrists and immobilized the guy with his hands and weight. He made sure he stayed on his elbows so he wouldn't outright flatten Danny.

"Think you're so _smart_, don'tcha?" Danny asked in a throaty voice from under him, gazing up at him with those bright, large eyes.

"Oh, yeah. Don't forget _handsome_, _strong_, _sexy_, _intelli_-"

Flack's words became garbled when Danny dragged his head down to kiss him. The smaller man's lips were firm and moist from their earlier kissing marathons, and Flack could taste hints of the caramel dessert they ate about ten minutes ago. Part of the majestic organ called his brain pondered the juicy idea of slathering Danny all over with the sweet stuff and then licking it all off in some … licking game.

_Mmmm_. That was a _nice_ idea.

As long as Danny shaved off the chest hair, that is. Who knew how difficult it was to get something like caramel out of hair.

He must have released Danny's wrists, since the man had his arms around his waist now, and was nuzzling his face, neck and chest like a cat. Ahh, Danny wanted to cuddle first. Flack smirked inwardly, rolling them over so he was the one lying on his back on the sofa and Danny was lying on top of him. It was pure irony, just pure irony that his lover would behave like the one animal he was allergic to.

"Thought ya didn't cuddle," Flack said with an outward smirk this time.

Danny lightly nipped him on the collarbone with his teeth. "You gonna keep askin' me that _every_ time?"

The homicide detective snickered. "I just think it's real funny ya actually said it out loud that ya didn't cuddle to Stella."

"Yeah, so I _did_."

Flack could tell Danny was smiling into his neck. "Uh huh. And what are we _doin'_ here 'xactly?"

" … never said anythin' 'bout not cuddlin' with _you_."

Danny had said it in such a soft tone, he almost didn't hear it. However, the grin that threatened to split his mien was evident proof he did.

The taller detective ruffled Danny's hair, and they lay intertwined on the couch, basking in each other's presence. As they did so, Flack took the chance to scrutinize the ornately decorated Christmas tree near the television.

It wasn't a huge tree, but it was just right. Iridescent green leaves, the classic, long triangle shape, with a tip that held up a shiny yellow star. Danny had gone nuts with the ornamentation that afternoon, covering the tree from top to bottom with every imaginable Christmas decoration they could buy. All kinds of bells, tiny angels in a variety of colors, those colorful balls, candy canes, and even miniature teddy bears coated in glittery dust. He literally became dizzy himself after dashing around and around the tree putting on those long decor that were like chains, except they were all pretty and had sparkly things hanging from them. And the tree lights, they'd be switched on tomorrow when the party started.

Flack smiled to himself. Their tree looked _damn good_. And it'd been worth it to see Danielle helping Danny to decorate the tree and wrap up the presents as best a six-month-old baby could.

His smile became wider.

This was going to be their first Christmas as a _family_.

Wow.

"I hope yer dad will like his gift," Danny murmured.

Flack snorted. "Heh, don't worry 'bout that, Danno. I'm amazed he's even gonna _show up _tomorrow."

"Why _wouldn't_ he?" Danny shifted onto his elbows to look him in the eye. "You're his only son, Don. And Danielle's his _grand-daughter_. That's gotta be somethin' big even for a guy like him."

Flack gave the CSI a listless shrug. He never liked discussing his father. Couldn't help feeling anything less than apathy about his parents coming over for Christmas tomorrow, although he loved his mother loads. It was his dad with whom he wasn't on such friendly terms. When he'd broken the news about having a baby, his dad reacted with nothing more than, "So who's the unfortunate woman?"

Gee, if only he had his video camera with him when he finally told good ol' Pop who the bearer of his daughter was. And _proved_ it right to his dad's face.

Flack smiled like the Grinch at the memory. _Hah_. Flack, one. Senior Flack, _zero_.

He noticed Danny's raised eyebrow and amused smirk, and said, "What 'bout _your_ parents?"

Danny sent him a sharp look, and asked in a mild manner, "What _'bout _them?"

"Are they gonna come tomorrow?"

Danny relaxed, a small smile curving up his lips. "Yeah. Even Louie's comin', believe it or not. He wants to see Danielle, says she wants him to meet her uncle." He resettled himself into a more comfortable position on Flack's chest and shoulder. "Mom said she spent the last four months makin' somethin' for Danielle." His smile grew. "I think it's a woolen jacket or somethin'."

"_Aww_, that's nice. So those knittin' classes a' hers are finally payin' off, huh?"

The homicide detective sensed Danny laughing into the crook between his shoulder and neck. "I dunno 'bout that, but I sure hope it's better than that sweater she knitted for me last year."

Flack cracked up the instant Danny mentioned the dreaded, multi-colored sweater that now permanently lived in their closet. One of its sleeves was over five inches shorter the other, and the collar was so constricted, it nearly choked Danny on his first try of wearing the damn thing. The most horrific thing about it, however, was its spectacular combination of pink, purple, neon green, yellow and red. Even the most flamboyant, flaming flambé of a gay man would shove it away with a ten-foot pole.

"It'll be okay, Don. It'll be _good_, you'll see," Danny whispered in consolation.

Flack remained quiet, and merely ran his large hand across the back of the other man's head over and over in tender strokes. In their relationship, he was so used to being the one to comfort that it never failed to move him deep within when the tables were turned. He was the constant pillar of support, the strong one. Like how Danny found it difficult to open up, it was challenging for him to step down and allow somebody else to be strong for him, allow somebody to see him vulnerable and flawed like every other human being in the world.

But Danny wasn't just a random somebody. And when Danny chose to open himself up and extend his love, it was _one hundred _percent genuine and from the depths of his heart. That was something beyond extraordinary. All in the cash in the world or his blue blood family name could never buy Flack anything remotely close to it.

God, he _was_ the luckiest bastard in all existence.

"I think Mac's gonna like his present. I got him a set of them toy soldiers. Those dark green ones, ya know? I remember him mentionin' once that he used to play with them as a kid, and he lost his set a long time ago." Danny was babbling. It was something he did whenever he knew Flack needed some distraction from gloomy thoughts. "Hawkes is gonna _love_ his, and I hope Lindsay will like hers too. And _Stella_, Stella's gonna _freak_ when she gets hers. Geez, I hope I got the right _size_."

There was one thing Flack could say in certainty about Danny's technique of sidetracking his mind out of a brood. It worked every time.

"Tell me ya _didn't_," Flack said with an amused guffaw.

"I did." Danny sniggered.

Flack tilted his head back on the sofa's armrest and released a bark of laughter, his blue eyes crinkled. "Oh, _man_, ya gotta tell her to open her present at home then! I dunno how my Ma's gonna react to seein' a _two-headed dildo_."

"With five different vibratin' settings too!"

"Ohhh, _maaaaaan_."

The CSI cackled audibly at the funny face Flack made. "_Hey_, don't diss somethin' ya haven't _tried_, 'kay?"

"Sorry, babe, I like my dicks _real_."

Flack saw the amused gleam in Danny's half-lidded eyes.

"I _know_ ya do. And you spoilt _me_ for _good_, Don Flack, Jr."

The taller man replied Danny with another long kiss on the lips. Flack rolled his hips, a motion that brought a low groan from Danny. Danny's lean legs spread wider, letting Flack slide their bodies closer. The green robe was now crumpled around Danny's elbows and waist, baring his muscular upper body to Flack's perusal. A second louder groan reverberated in the living area as Flack began running his tongue all over Danny's long neck, chest and nipples, and he grasped Danny on his upper arms to keep the guy in place. Danny could seriously squirm around when he was way into the heat of things.

Flack moved one hand down to his lover's waist, getting a good grip on the thick fabric of Danny's robe. Now, if only he had taken out more caramel from fridge -

It took Flack a couple of blurry minutes to realize the olive green robe wouldn't be removed no matter how he yanked at it, because Danny was stopping him from doing just that.

"Hey, what gives?"

Danny wouldn't look at him. Whether the guy's face was red from their current activities or from some other reason, Flack couldn't guess.

"Nothin'."

Flack attempted to pull down the robe from Danny's arms once more. Nope, Danny was clutching at his arms and effectively hindering him.

"Babe, you've never been _shy_ 'round me 'fore …" Flack gave him a roguish smirk. "What, ya don't want me to see yer new _love handles _or somethin'?"

Uh oh, Danny's eyes were narrowing in that laser-sharp glower of his.

"Since it's Christmas tomorrow, I'm just gonna pretend I didn't _hear_ that."

Flack chuckled, much relieved at the toothy smile that appeared on Danny's visage moments after. Okay, he was fine with the no-taking-off-robe thing. He'd find out sooner or later what was up with that anyway. Danny had reasons for everything he did.

"How 'bout we exchange our gifts now?" Flack asked. He maneuvered them to a sitting pose, watched Danny tug his robe back up and over his shoulders and then added, "Is that okay with ya?"

To his surprise, Danny was enthusiastic about the idea.

"Sure, that'd be great."

Flack stared into Danny's luminous eyes.

"_Ahh_." Flack's gaze narrowed in comprehension. "Yer gift's somethin' that's for _my_ eyes only, _eh?_"

There was no doubt why Danny's face was red this time around.

The homicide detective snickered out loud, then hopped off the couch and leapt again out of harm's way after Danny seized a cushion and chucked it at him. The cushion landed with a muffled thud on the floor behind him, missing his left shin by a few inches.

"Hey, _heeey!_ I'm gonna give ya yer _present_, and _this_ is how ya treat me?" Flack said in melodramatic fashion. He waved one forefinger high in the air. "_Domestic abuse_, I say!"

Danny made a rude, snorting noise through his prominent nose. Whatever snide effect there was, it was utterly ruined by his affectionate smile.

"_Ohh_, I _see_, you _don't_ want yer gift. _Ohhh_, _well_ then, I oughta just give it to somebody _else_ who'll _appreciate_ it." Even as he was speaking, Flack headed for the Christmas tree to pick out the wrapped up present he had purchased for Danny. He struggled to keep his expression as that of mock outrage, but inside, his level of bliss was reaching an explosive stage. Excited was a major understatement to describe how he felt right now. He'd been waiting like _crazy_ for this moment since he'd gotten what he did for his other half.

When Danny opened his gift, the man's reaction to it was going to be one reliable indicator of what his vision of their future was.

And a gigantic part of Flack's heart was terrified into wordlessness that Danny _didn't_ have a vision of their future together.

"Don."

Flack plucked up the eight-by-six-inch box in dark red present paper and a white ribbon, and then swiveled around to face Danny. The CSI had his arms crossed over his chest, lips pursed and brows lowered in a frown. The man looked absolutely miffed and intimidating.

"_Gimme_ my _present_. _Now_."

Too bad Flack knew every nuance of Danny's face, right down to the telltale twitches of his lips whenever he put on an angry façade and was trying his hardest to not laugh.

"Okay," Flack answered in a nonchalant way.

He dropped his boxers.

Now, Danny had to strain to maintain his outward displeasure. The shorter man sucked in his lower lip in the hopes of concealing his smile. It didn't work.

"I said, _PRESENT_."

Pokerfaced, Flack glanced downwards at himself and back at his lover. He stared at Danny for a short while, and said in an awed tone, "Wow. You're _complainin'_ 'bout me gettin' _naked_."

He suddenly pointed the forefinger of his other hand at Danny, blue eyes widened to the point the whites were visible around the irises.

"Who are _you_, and what have you _done_ with _my_ _sex maniac?!_ _My_ Danny would _never_ have protested me barin' my _beautiful_, _magnificent_ six foot two body! _Neeeeveeeeeeeer!_"

Danny totally lost it. The robed man cackled until his eyes were scrunched up and he was holding a hand against his belly.

"Ya _crazy nut_," Danny said once he caught his breath. He smacked at the empty spot next to him on the dark brown sofa. "Get over here, a'right!"

Grinning from ear to ear, Flack clambered around the coffee table between the television and the couch, but he didn't sit beside Danny as Danny had directed. Instead, with his gift in hand, Flack went to kneel in front of the other man, shifting closer when Danny parted his legs to give him more room. On his knees, Flack was eye to eye with the seated CSI.

The homicide detective smiled. _Perfect_.

"Here ya go, gorgeous." Flack passed the rectangular, ribboned-up present to his lover. He made a face at Danny's lifted eyebrows for his use of that particular nickname. "_Whaaaat? _I can call ya _babe_, but not _gorgeous?_"

Danny smirked and said nothing. He looked down at his gift, the smirk transforming into a delighted smile.

"What is it?"

Flack rolled his eyes. "Danny, just _open_ it."

Danny rolled his eyes too, but he rapidly turned into a bundle of excitement, loosening the white ribbon tied around the present. The red wrapping paper was next to go. Danny was so preoccupied with opening his gift, he didn't detect the huge smile spread across Flack's features.

Heheh, with the box as big and rectangular as it was, there was no way Danny was going to guess what his gift was till he opened up _all_ the boxes inside.

"_Very_ funny, Don."

Flack chuckled. Hey, a wrapped present within a wrapped present simply meant the guy got to open it twice.

Danny took out the smaller box from inside the main packaging, and also removed the red paper with haste. He gave Flack a curious glance, and then, with a trembling hand, he opened it.

There was a sudden tense silence in the living area.

Danny was staring at the contents of the box he grasped with wide eyes, his lips somewhat parted and revealing some of his pearly teeth.

Inside were two little, square boxes covered in black velvet, each small enough to sit on the palm of a hand. Based on the expression on Danny's face, Flack was quite sure the other man knew what was in them.

"The one on your right is yours," Flack said in a soft voice after a moment or two. He caressed Danny's knees with his hands, feeling more and more nervous by the minute. What if Danny knew what he bought for him and didn't like it? What if Danny took it the wrong way and was feeling pressured and -

Danny had the velvet box Flack pointed out on his palm, the other one left on his lap. The box was opened.

The white gold ring, with its trim of the same metal, was as inspiring to stare at as the first time Flack came across it on an online jewellery store five months ago. It glimmered in the illumination of the lamp on the side table next to the couch, tiny sparkles reflecting off the intricately engraved words and Saint Andrews' Celtic knots.

He had chosen an Irish Celtic theme for the two rings, in part because he was proud of his Irish heritage, regardless of the fact he was born and bred in the United States. That, and he couldn't think of a more romantic way to tell Danny how much he loved the man than to bequeath him with an authentic Gaelic wedding ring.

All the way from Ireland too.

Oh, man. Danny was going to _kill_ him if the guy ever learned how much he spent to get the rings customized, hand carved and shipped over.

Flack held his breath.

"It's, _uhm_ … it's made outta eighteen karat white gold, the, _uh_, the trim too. And it's, _ah_, _hand carved_, see, and the words on the ring's s'pposed to copy the writing in this book of Kells that the, _uhm_, Celtic _monks_ designed a long time ago …"

Oh shit, he was jabbering and Danny wasn't saying a word and -

"And - and, _uh_, I made sure they got the measurements _right_, 'cause I measured some of the rings ya already got and -"

"What do the words mean?"

Danny had the ring in his fingers, cradling it as if it was one of his most precious possessions in the world. The croakiness in the CSI's voice and the way his eyes glistened prompted Flack to speak again.

"On the outside, it says, _gra go deo_." Flack swallowed visibly. "In Gaelic, it means … _love for an eternity_."

Flack licked at his dry lips, staring into the other man's blue eyes so close. He couldn't have budged an inch even if he yearned to. There was … _something_, something in Danny's large eyes that pinned him in place. Made his knees quaver and his heart beat at an accelerating velocity.

"There's - there's more inscribed. On the inner side," Flack whispered.

Danny held the ring at an angle towards the lamp to read what had been etched there.

"'To Danny' …" The shorter detective squinted. "'_Gra geal_ _mo chroi_'."

Flack nodded. "Yeah." He gulped again, trying to clear his throat that was abruptly clogged. "It means … _love of my heart_."

Danny kept looking down at the ring in his grasp.

Flack knew his lover was avoiding eye contact. His long fingers played with the olive green fabric of Danny's robe. It prevented him from losing his cool and going into a total panic attack. He blinked, feeling a little giddy, feeling his stomach roil in apprehension. Maybe he was holding his breath for too long.

Maybe it was too soon. Maybe Danny didn't want to be with him forever like he hoped. Maybe -

Danny finally raised his head.

Flack gasped.

There were wet trails running down Danny's cheeks.

All of a sudden, Flack's own eyes were blurry.

"If - if ya don't like it, I could … I'll buy ya somethin' else that ya like," Flack rasped, a nervous laugh following his words.

Under his hands, Danny's knees were quivering.

The smaller man stared at him, not moving a muscle to wipe away the tears rolling down his attractive face. Then, little by little, Danny's lips arched up in a wavering albeit elated smile.

"For an _eternity_, huh?"

Something wet was trailing down his own face.

"Yeah. An eternity. And more."

His answer seemed to move Danny right down to a molecular level. Danny's face crumpled for just an instant, his lower lip trembling violently and fresh wetness streaming from his eyes. Before Flack could touch his face, Danny had gathered himself and was blinking rapidly and sniffing aloud and sucking in a deep breath.

"_Well?_" The CSI thumped him on the chest with the hand that held the white gold ring. "Are ya gonna _put_ this on me or what!"

It was just what Flack needed to free the knot of anxiety in his broad chest. He let out a hearty laugh, touching his forehead with his lover's, rubbing them together. Now that he knew Danny loved the gift, he felt like he was floating in heaven somewhere. No, better, he was floating in heaven with _Danny_ somewhere.

"Okay." Flack took the ring and clasped Danny's left hand in his right. "Okay. I wanna do this _right_."

The taller man shifted on his knees into a more comfortable position, getting as close as possible to Danny without them touching noses. He wanted to be able to gaze into Danny's eyes while he said what he was going to say next.

"This is … what I'm 'bout to say to ya is what the Gaelic call a _gealltanas siorai_," Flack began in a resolved manner. "An eternal promise."

"Kinda like _weddin' vows?_" Danny was smiling at him, moist eyes filled with great warmth and adoration.

"Yeah." Flack gave the other man a wide grin. "'Xactly like that."

Flack stroked Danny's hand and fingers, contemplating on his forthcoming words.

"Almost six years ago … there was this guy I met. Spiky brown hair, blue eyes, wore glasses, had questionable tastes in clothes -"

He received a light punch on the shoulder for that, but he resumed his speech, smirking like a loon at Danny's mock affronted expression.

"At first, I thought he was a real punk. All _talk_ and no walk, and so, a little while after we met, I went up to him and challenged him to a round a' hoops. And he got right into my face and said, 'I may be _shorter_ than ya, Flack, but I'm gonna _kick _yer ass on the court.'"

"'Course I couldn't let him off with the last word, and I said, 'Sorry, Messer, you're s'pposed to play hoops with yer _hands_.'" Flack made a funny face. "It was just bad luck I lost that match, that's all."

Danny cackled at that, as Flack expected he would.

Flack sent him a mock reprimanding glance.

And Danny gave him an utterly smug look.

The homicide detective chuckled in good nature, caressing Danny's cheeks and rubbing away the drying tears.

"After that, we decided to play hoops together every weekend. Eat pizza afterwards, or go to Sullivan's for a beer or two. Later on, we moved up to crashin' at each other's apartments to watch a game or a movie. And we got to see each other at work all the time anyway."

Flack paused for a moment, reminiscing the times when he and Danny were still getting to know each other, dancing around each other, towards one another.

"So this went on for some time … _years_, in fact. And it was good. _Real_ good." Flack's voice dropped a few octaves. His handsome visage became solemn. "But then, one day … one day, I thought 'bout what my life would be like without him, and I realized … I couldn't see my life any other way anymore. Not without him. And there I was, thinkin' to myself, 'Oh God, Danny's gonna _punch_ my _lights_ out when he figures out I'm in _love_ with him.'"

Flack felt a warm hand resting itself against his cheek, and the touch grounded him.

"Then, a little over a year ago, my friend turned boyfriend came up to me and told me … he was _pregnant_."

Danny broke eye contact by scrunching his eyes close, his face crinkled in a mixture of a grimace and a grin. Oh, yeah, the guy _definitely_ remembered what occurred that afternoon in the men's room of CSI headquarters all those months ago.

"_Yeah_, how 'bout _that_, huh? I mean, after havin' it proven to me to be _real_, I knew my life was _really_ never gonna be the same ever again. Heck, how many guys do ya know whose _boyfriends_ got _pregnant_ thanks to _aliens from outer space?_"

Flack laughed softly.

"But I gotta say … it turned out to be one of the _best_ things that ever happened to me." Flack stroked Danny's lower jaw, gazing into the man's wide, blue eyes. "Now I'm livin' with the love of my life and our little baby girl in a wonderful home in the greatest city in the world. And there's only one piece left to complete the jigsaw puzzle."

He raised Danny's left hand and placed the metal ring at the tip of the middle finger.

"Daniel Messer … will you take me, Donald Flack, Jr., to be your other half, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish for an eternity?"

Danny's eyes were wet once more. "Whatever happened to the 'till death do us part' bit?"

"Sorry, babe. Even death ain't gonna stop me from bein' with you."

A lone tear trickled its way down the side of Danny's nose and cheek.

"_Yes_, _I will_."

His smile soared Flack's heart to unimaginable heights.

The white gold ring slid onto Danny's finger like a second skin.

Both their breaths hitched in sync, the sound echoing in the peaceful hush of the apartment.

A shudder shook Flack's lanky body, and he squeezed Danny's hands tight in his. Whoa, it felt like a fierce shockwave just rushed through his very soul and whipped everything up inside him. It was like … an irrevocable alteration within had taken place.

And it was _good_.

"This … this is right up there with Danielle," Danny said gruffly. "_Please_, tell me the other box has a ring for you."

"Yeah … _yeah_, I ordered a ring each for us," Flack replied. He dragged one hand down his face, wiping his cheeks dry. Geez, he didn't want to look like a buffoon in such an earth-shattering moment as this.

Danny had taken out the second ring, studying it like he did with his. It was a bit smaller in diameter than Danny's given that his fingers were more slender. It was also identical to Danny's in every way, except for his own name engraved on the inner side.

Flack suddenly froze. _Uh oh_. What if Danny wanted a different message etched there instead? What if -

"Danny, 'bout the words inside the -"

"It's _perfect_."

It was merely a whisper, but it had the power to drive away Flack's fears in a heartbeat. Flack loosened up, shoulders drooping in relief.

Danny was scrutinizing his face. The guy had that look in his eyes, the one that indicated to Flack he'd caught on to something.

"You were really worried I was gonna _hate_ yer gift, weren't ya?" Danny murmured.

"Well, I dunno … I wasn't sure how ya felt 'bout - 'bout _marryin'_ me." The homicide detective shrugged, his face flushed a dark red. "They're Gaelic _weddin'_ rings, and _yeah_, I thought you were gonna freak out and think I was _forcin'_ ya into some - some _contract _or somethin' and I'd have to send the rings back to Ireland and -"

"You got the rings all the way from _Ireland?_"

Flack bit his lower lip. Ah, crap. Why did he let his big mouth run off like that?

Danny's eyes were wide as saucers. "Don, how much did you -"

"_Nuh uh_," Flack cut in, wagging a finger. "The price doesn't matter _jack_. And if ya even _dare_ to tell me you're _unworthy_ to have that kinda money spent on ya or some _crap_ like that, I'll kick yer ass to Manhattan and back, I _mean_ it."

Even as he finished his warning, Flack was wincing inside. Oh, _great_, from the look on his lover's face, he'd given away more information about how much money he paid for the damn things than he should have.

"I …" Danny was at a loss for words.

The shorter detective glanced downwards the ring on his left middle finger, then at the other ring between his right thumb and forefinger. A determined gleam had replaced the earlier shock.

Flack looked down as well and saw that Danny was now gripping his left hand in his right, and that the man was holding the ring with his left. He lifted his head to lock eyes with the other man. Danny was going to do it, he could see it in those baby blues. Danny was going to pour his heart out, and Flack was going to listen to every word if it was the last thing he ever did.

"The earliest Christmas gift I ever remember receivin' was when I was five. Think it was a police toy set. Ya know, with the plastic _handcuffs_ and the fake _badge_." A melancholic smirk curled up one end of Danny's lips. "And the miniature gun. I remember playin' with that so much … Louie would be the robber, and I'd chase him all over the house, actin' like the big, macho cop."

Danny let out a mild snicker.

"I was such a naïve kid too. Thought havin' a toy gun was enough to turn me into one a' the _tough_ boys, and I learnt things the hard way." The CSI made a face. "Went home from school with a black eye and less one toy gun. But yeah, you shoulda seen the class bully."

Flack grinned at the last statement. That was his Danny, alright.

Danny smirked, and then, his expression became somber.

"Growin' up on the streets a' Brooklyn, ya learn real fast that it's eat or be eaten. I was the boy who followed his big brother, thinkin' that the mob was the answer to a better life because his brother _was_ in the mob and livin' it up. And the truth was, whenever I was with Louie and his gang, I _did_ feel safe, even if they didn't want me around most a' the time."

He bowed his head, lost in recollection.

"And then … the Rutherford stadium thing happened. And all of a sudden, I had no idea who I was anymore. Thought I was this hot shot, 'cept I knew I'd been lyin' to myself all that time. I was nothin' in their eyes, Just a sorry punk."

Flack squeezed Danny's hand in understanding. He kept quiet, letting Danny speak at his own pace. This was the first time Danny had ever talked this openly of his past, and Flack wasn't going to forego this uncommon privilege of knowing more about his lover in his younger days.

"So I did what no one else in my family ever dared to do ... I left the mob life behind. Wanted a clean start, no more baggage from my old man or Louie and his _pals_." Danny snorted. "Ya shoulda seen the look on my dad's face when I told him I was gonna be a cop. S'like I just told him I painted a _bullseye_ on my forehead and was waitin' for somebody to blow my _brains_ out. But I didn't care. I wanted no part in the mob, even if it meant gettin' killed for it."

The CSI lifted his head to gaze at Flack's mien.

"Sometimes I wish life was simpler, ya know? Sometimes I wish there was some kinda magic eraser to use on lousy decisions and actions."

Flack wasn't pleased with the self-reproach he saw in his lover's eyes. It roused his primitive urges to beat up some stupid felons, preferably that sonofabitch Sassone who was rotting in prison. Nonetheless, he remained silent. This was no ordinary, everyday dialogue they were having here.

"Ya can take the boy outta the streets, but ya can't take the streets outta the boy." The forlorn smile had returned to Danny's lips. "I knew that the day I met him … this ideal cop from the ideal family. Upstandin', law abidin', A-class material in every way. The guy everybody respected and loved. The guy without a bad rep or a rotten past. The guy who's everythin' that I'm not."

"Danny …" The homicide detective stroked at the other man's thigh with his free hand.

"No, it's _true_, Don, and ya _know_ it," Danny interjected calmly. "_Everybody_ knew it. People even told Mac to not _hire_ me 'cause they knew where I came from. But Mac … he gave me a chance anyway."

Danny's visage crinkled in a tender smile. "And so did that cop."

Flack smiled too.

"At first, I thought he was just messin' round with me. It didn't make _sense_, ya know? What would a guy who came from a _blue blood _family want with a _street rat _like me? When he came up to me one day and challenged me to a game a' hoops outta nowhere, I thought I was right. Thought he wanted to teach me a lesson or somethin'."

"But as the days and weeks and months went by, I realized he was fer real. That he wasn't anythin' like the uptight, conceited jerk I expected he would be at all." Danny made a self-satisfied face. "I hafta admit though, it sure felt _good_ to kick his ass on the court that day, what with him havin' the height advantage over me and I beat him by _twenty-two _points anyway."

Flack cackled, his teeth flashing. He had no hard feelings whatsoever about that age-old defeat. Sweaty, panting Danny in nothing but a white tank top, track pants and sneakers was still one of his hottest fantasies after all these years.

"I never questioned him 'bout why he wanted to spend so much time with me. I wasn't stupid, wasn't 'bout to _jinx_ this good thing I had with him ... Didn't wanna lose it after losin' so many other good things."

The taller man caressed the side of Danny's face. He never knew Danny could look so striking with the moonlight highlighting his features that way.

"I was so used to bein' alone, carin' for myself and nobody else. And _boom_, just like that, there was this tall, handsome guy in my life and … and I couldn't bear to live without him. And that scared the _shit _outta me, ya know that? Suddenly wakin' up one day and findin' out I'd rather _die_ than live a life without him. 'Cause I _needed_ somebody now, felt _empty_ the moment he was outta my sight. Even had _butterflies_ in my stomach just from a _phone call_. How pathetic is that?"

"S'not pathetic at all," Flack replied in a gentle tone. "I think that's really sweet."

The shorter detective sent him a coy smile, then continued, "Yeah, well … I was even more scared when I finally got the balls to ask him out for somethin' more than just drinks or a game. I thought, 'Oh, _shit_, Don's gonna _kill_ me fer _sure_.' But I did it, and it was unbelievable -"

Danny suddenly blushed.

"I just hope Stella never used the ALS in the locker room after that night."

Flack laughed with gusto. Damn, he wished he got to see the look on Stella's face if she ever did that. Perhaps he'd ask her tomorrow when she came over with the others for Christmas dinner.

"It was like a dream. I couldn't believe my luck. S'was like it was too good to be true, and I figured, 'Oh yeah, somethin' is gonna come up and mess up everythin' for me, as usual.' Sure 'nough, somethin' happened, not even a year into our relationship."

Danny turned his head to one side, features in a serious countenance. However, his blue eyes twinkled. He sucked in his lower lip.

"I know I shocked him with the news a' me havin' a baby, 'cause he just fell over like a wall a' bricks."

Flack stuck his tongue out and pinched Danny on the cheek, which in turn, made Danny smirk in amusement at him.

"Thought he would split on me right after I broke the news to him. Wouldn't have blamed him one bit, if he had. I know I'd have freaked out _big_ time if it had been the other way 'round." Danny's expression was loving. "But I would never have left him. Loved him too much. I'm thankful every day he felt the same way towards me, 'cause I dunno what I woulda done on my own with a baby."

Skilled fingers ran through Flack's dark hair, then down the side of his face and onto his lips, tracing their shape.

"I still love him. And against all the odds, I'm still here with him, with the most beautiful baby girl in the world … and he still loves me too." A wide smile spread across the CSI's face. "I'm _home_, at _last_."

Flack sniffed. Oh, crap, his vision was all hazy and there was something wet on his cheeks again.

Between their torsos, Danny lifted the homicide detective's left hand to chest level.

"Donald Flack, Jr., will you take me, Daniel Messer, to be your other half, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish for an eternity?"

Danny's eyes were so dazzling and clear, even through the moistness in his own blue ones.

And even in a moment as poignant as this, his mouth just _had_ to retain its smartass attitude.

"Ya had me at '_Get_ yer _foot_ off my _two hundred _dollar _boots!_'"

Their laughter reigned in the expanse of their ambient-lit living room. Danny had thrown back his head, so amused his eyes were scrunched shut and he stamped his foot on the floor. The only thing holding Danny upright on the couch was Flack clutching his hand.

"Yeah, you _remember_ that, don'tcha?" Flack said amid chuckles.

"Oh yeah, you shoulda seen how high ya jumped when I yelled that. And _hey! _You stepped on my foot on _purpose!_" Danny poked him in the chest, his cheeks puffed up in indignation. "And I didn't even know who the hell ya were then!"

The taller man made a knowing face. He'd detected the twitch in Danny's lower lip. "_Ahh_, but I don't recall ya complainin' bout me standin' so _close_ to you at the time."

Danny hmphed. "The precinct lobby was _crowded_."

"Admit it, babe, ya _wanted_ me to step on yer foot so ya could say hito the most handsome homicide detective in town." Flack waggled his thick eyebrows.

Danny ceded in their friendly verbal battle with a smile and a head shake from side to side that was pure fondness.

Flack locked gazes with his lover again, and uttered in a solemn voice, "_Yes_, Daniel Messer, _I will_. For an eternity and more." He joggled their entwined hands. "Now put that sucker on me quick so I can kiss ya stupid!"

Like Danny's, his ring slipped onto the third finger of his left hand with great ease, neither too tight or too loose. The moment it was on, Flack seized both of Danny's hands in a vice-like grip. Danny didn't protest, for he was squeezing Flack's hands just as hard.

Their foreheads touched. Danny's breaths were faint and uneven. Flack wasn't certain if the tears on his face was his or the other man's or both.

"Do ya know what you're _gettin'_ into?" Danny whispered. The gravelly chuckle that trailed after the question convinced Flack fast that the query was in jest.

"Hey, if I survived livin' with a _pregnant man _for nine months who woke me up at three in the mornin' for weeks straight, askin' me to cook him _cement_ and _tyres_ and _rose petals _… I think I can deal with married life."

They snickered together, rubbing their faces against each other's. Danny's beard shadow, light moustache and trimmed goatee tickled Flack's cheeks.

The meeting of their lips was surprisingly tender. Unhurried, but tremendous and earth-moving. It was a seal of their vows to each other, and that alone made the kiss the most significant kiss of their lives from that instant onwards.

Flack didn't even realize he was lying on top of Danny on their sofa and kissing the man silly as he'd promised till he opened his eyes he didn't know he closed. Danny's green robe was rumpled all around the man's waist, its sleeves caught around Danny's elbows. The CSI's upper body was exposed again to Flack's hands-on inspection, and Flack felt the shudder travelling through Danny while he fondled Danny's nipples.

"So," Flack rasped, eyes heavy-lidded with desire. "Where's _my_ gift, hmm?"

Upon hearing his inquiry, Danny's eyes widened.

"It's …" Danny's gaze flitted to the side. "It's kinda insignificant compared to -"

Flack placed his hand against his lover's cheek to turn Danny's head to face him once more. "Danny. There's never such thing as an _insignificant_ gift comin' from you. Never."

The other man nibbled on his lower lip.

"C'mon, it's a present from _you!_"Flack smiled, eyes warm and intense. "I _know_ it's good."

They stared at each other for another minute more, and then Danny replied, "'Kay. Lemme up."

Flack scrambled off the couch and onto his feet in record time. His eyes were probably as wide as plates while watching Danny gracefully shift to a sitting position, not bothering to pull his robe back up. _Damn_, if only he had a camera right there and then to capture the ethereal vision of Danny's lean, sinewy body under the vivid moonlight, backlit in orange, his hair seared white, his blue eyes turned silver.

"You, _uh_, you might wanna kneel on the floor."

As vibrant as the moonlight was, the redness on Danny's cheeks was still apparent.

"Oh, is that so." Flack gave the shorter detective a wicked grin.

The blush darkened.

"Just _do_ it, okay!"

With a chuckle, Flack fell to his knees in one smooth motion beside the couch. Oh, babe, he _knew_ this was going to be good.

Danny sauntered a few steps to him, gazing down at him with a nervous expression. The man's groin was barely covered by his robe, and it was mere inches away from Flack's face but Flack kept looking into Danny's wide eyes. He drew Danny's left hand to his lips and planted a kiss right on top of the ring on the third finger.

"S'okay, Danno. I'm gonna _love_ it, I know I will," Flack said in reassurance.

Danny bit his lower lip one last time, then swiveled around. Now, Flack was directly facing the shorter man's lower back, as well as his most favorite part of Danny's body. He couldn't help smiling from ear to ear. Yeah, nothing like getting upclose and personal with that lovely bottom.

Flack waited with bated breath.

Danny inhaled acutely. Lowered his arms to his sides.

The olive green robe slithered to the floor with a rustle.

The black tattoo that adorned the supple skin above Danny's firm buttocks was _splendid_. Flack slowly lifted his hands to touch the inked _claddagh_ flanked by the side abdominal muscles. Two hands on either side clasped an elongated heart between their thumb and fingers, the wrists of those hands cuffed with studded bands. Surmounted on the heart was a lavishly jeweled crown with a wide edge that had three Gaelic words written on it.

And within the heart itself … was his full name.

"I picked it out 'cause the tattoo artist told me it was a - a … _claddad?_"

It took Flack a minute to correct Danny on the pronounciation of the word. He hadn't gotten over his awe yet. "_Claddagh_. It's the Irish symbol of love ... and friendship and loyalty."

"Yeah, that's it, a _claddagh_." Danny's timbre was higher than normal. He was speaking faster and fidgeting where he stood too. "So I remembered that you've always been interested in Irish history and culture and all that, and I chose it 'cause I thought you'd _like_ somethin' like that, and, _uhm_ … I hope I picked those Gaelic words _right_, 'cause -"

"'_Mo_ _anam cara_.'" Flack stroked the words tattooed into Danny's smooth skin. "'_My soul mate_.'"

Flack blinked many times. Damnit, what was wrong with his eyes tonight? Like freakin' water pipes, they were.

Danny let out a chuckle that sounded both anxious and relieved at the same time. "Yeah. _Yeah_, that's what I wanted written. Guess we were thinkin' along the same lines of Irish Celtic designs, huh?"

The CSI went still.

"Do you … do you like it?"

Flack caressed the sides of Danny's sturdy thighs, up to his hips, leaving his hands there as he nuzzled his face against the tattoo. Another tremor journeyed through the smaller man's body.

"I can always _remove_ it if ya don't like it," Danny prattled. His gulp was virtually audible. "S'gonna take _laser_ treatments to do it and it'll probably hurt more than me gettin' it, but if that's what ya want -"

Flack could sense his lover's body tensing up more and more with every uttered word. His lips curled up in a diminutive smile.

"It's the most beautiful tattoo I've ever laid my eyes on. _I love it_."

Danny turned his head and partly twisted his upper body to peer downwards at the homicide detective. "Really?"

Flack didn't need to see Danny's face to know the guy was grinning his head off.

"Let's just say, I'm so fuckin' _turned on _right now, the only reason you're not moanin' and screamin' in ecstasy yet is 'cause I don't wanna take my eyes off my present."

"Well." The fervor in Danny's voice sent shivers through _his_ body. "I can think a' one way we can do … both."

He bounded to his feet the same time Danny pivoted around to face him. They stood chest to chest, staring profoundly into each other's eyes. Flack's breaths increased in speed. Fuck, he sure wasn't the only guy in the room who was rock hard down there.

"Stuff?" Flack murmured.

Wonderful, they hadn't even begun yet, and he was already reduced to single word communication.

"Side of the couch. New tube." Danny licked at his lips, eyes wide with exhilaration.

The taller detective let out a low groan. Oh, _yeah_, the desire was flaring up in the other man at light speed too, he could feel it like he did every time.

Danny kissed him on the lips. It was another tender one, a prelude to the lusty storm that was soon to engulf them.

"Straight to the main course, Jackhammer," Danny rasped against Flack's parted lips.

Another resonant groan escaped Flack, and he grabbed at his lover's buttocks, squashing their lower bodies together. Drew a high-pitched moan out of the CSI's gaping mouth as he slid a few fingers into the crease between those pert mounds, rubbing the puckered entrance to Danny's body and farther down at the perineum.

The Jackhammer was a droll nickname Danny came up for him after they had their very first sex marathon that lasted for seven and a half hours, back in Danny's former apartment. It was both a snap and tribute to his … plowing abilities and endurance.

Well. He couldn't complain.

It was way better than being designated the _Kinka-Poodle_, although he _was_ the one who thought of that moniker. Not that he was ever going to be dumb enough to tell Danny that. He valued his family jewels, thank you very much. And Danny _would_ look cute in a poodle suit with some waggling bobtail.

But most important of all, the only time Danny ever called him the Jackhammer was when the man craved a really, _really_ good pounding.

"Get on the couch. _Now_," Flack growled.

In the blink of an eye, Danny was on his knees on the couch, leaning over its padded back, wriggling his round bottom from side to side and beckoning Flack with sultry eyes. If that wasn't already enough to drive Flack mad with hunger, Danny arched his back and spread his thighs wide apart.

And that damn tongue of his flitted out to lick at that full, lower lip.

Flack threw himself at the right end of the sofa, shoving his hand between the armrest and the cushion for the tube of lubrication and condoms they concealed there. Always smart to have the items handy and at arm's reach in all kinds of places in the apartment, as passionate about making love as they were.

"Naughty, _naughty_ kinka-poodle. So _this_ was why ya kept insistin' on wearin' t-shirts to sleep for the last two weeks," Flack murmured, standing behind Danny and squeezing out a whole lot of lube onto his palm.

Danny's snicker was muffled. He was hiding part of his face in the crook of his elbow, observing Flack from the corners of his heavy-lidded eyes. "Didn't wanna spoil my present for ya before it was the right time to show ya."

"_Ohh_, and what a _present_ it is." Flack chucked the tube of lubricant to one side and used that hand to stroke the tattoo for the second time that night.

The ink was dark and rich, but it would most likely fade a little in the long run to match the color of the tattoo on Danny's right upper arm. That didn't matter. It was already beyond amazing of Danny to get a tattoo like this done just for him. It wasn't just a declaration of Danny's love for him to anyone who saw it. It was _permanent_, and he highly doubted the CSI was going to have it lasered off any time soon.

Flack slanted forward and kissed the tattoo in its center. God, how he loved its owner.

"You still _revvin' up _or do ya need some kinda _assistance_ back there?" Danny said with a mischievous smirk. His face was flushed. He rocked his hips backwards to rub his buttocks against Flack's erect cock.

The homicide detective didn't reply. He instantly seeked out the opening to his lover's body, pushing two lubricated fingers in right up to his knuckles.

"_Mmmhhh! _Oh fuck, _yeah_ -" Danny bit his forearm in an attempt to muffle his cries.

Flack scissored his fingers, pressing hard on and around the sensitive prostate gland, giving Danny at least _some_ preparation even if he asked for a good reaming. They hadn't gone further than kissing and a blowjob now and then in the last two hectic weeks. He wasn't about to wreck one of the finest nights of his life by hurting Danny in any way, he wasn't that kind of guy.

"Donny, please, _now_ …"

Strong inner muscles clenched tight around his fingers.

"Okay … okay, babe."

The ripping sound of the condom packet being torn open echoed in the dim living area.

It caused Danny to dig his fingers into the couch. Flack carefully withdrew his fingers, then rolled the condom onto his hard erection with a dexterity that spoke of experience. Spread the remaining lubricant all over the slick surface of the condom.

Danny whimpered.

Flack placed himself at the puckered entrance, and with one push, glided deep into the shorter man's lean body. He bit his lower lip at the incredible heat and tightness. Clutched at Danny's hips until he left red indentations in the unblemished skin. Oh, _shit_, he didn't mean to be that rou-

His thighs contacted with Danny's ample buttocks.

To the homicide detective's amazement, Danny didn't articulate a single sound. It was unusual, given that the CSI was one of the most, vocal lovers he ever had, if not _the_ most. Flack rubbed Danny's taut lower back in a concerned manner, and he glanced at Danny's face, or what he could see of it from his position behind the man.

Ah. Danny was biting into his right forearm. _Hard_.

"Danny?" Flack leaned forward to plaster himself on his lover's back, running his hands along Danny's flanks, broad chest and muscular arms. "Are you okay? Dan, talk to me."

Flack was a little spooked Danny was so quiet and that he was biting himself like that. He almost yielded to the compulsion to wrench the other man's right arm away before he hurt himself when Danny let go and raised his head to gaze at Flack.

"M'okay …" Danny licked his dry lips. "Didn't want to … wake Danielle up."

Flack sighed, caressing the spot where Danny had bitten himself. Thank God there was no broken skin.

"Don't bite yerself, babe. Bite the couch."

Danny huffed out a near inaudible chuckle, corkscrewing his hips back against Flack's groin. "Only if you'll stop talkin' and start _movin'_."

Flack chuckled, and whispered, "The Jackhammer always gives the kinka-poodle what it wants."

It was somewhat awkward and a bit of a contortionist's act on the springy sofa, but Flack managed to kiss Danny without toppling them over. Their arms and fingers entwined, connecting them from head to knees. Their left hands were knotted, to the point the knuckles were white. The white gold rings glittered brightly under the light of the lamp next to the couch.

Danny lowered his head and sunk his pearly teeth into the malleable pad of the back of the couch.

Flack's lips neared Danny's closest ear.

"_I love you_."

His murmur sent a powerful jolt through his lover's body. Danny's left hand tightened even more around his.

Without waiting for a reply, Flack straightened up as much as he could and slowly withdrew out of Danny until only the tip of erection remained inside. He stroked the tattooed _claddagh_ on Danny's lower back one last time, and then, he thrust back in to the hilt in one go.

Fuck, yes, if Danny wanted it fast and hard, he was going to give it all he had.

Danny's stifled shout snapped what was left of his restraint.

Flack pumped his hips at an unrelenting pace, pulling out almost completely and burying himself back inside every time. His own hoarse panting was loud in his ears, as well as Danny's sharp cries of pleasure. Every lunge of his hips sent the CSI helplessly swinging forward and back over the top of the sofa, Danny's death grip on the cushion the sole thing stopping the guy from flying over the edge.

Flack grinned, even as sweat dampened his wiry, long-limbed torso and his legs quivered in his effort to sustain the speed of his thrusts. Well, out the window with the _chewing-on-the-couch-to-keep-quiet_ plan. He loved it when Danny was freely expressing his pleasure anyhow.

The way the moans and whimpers that escaped Danny's lips told Flack his lover had to be biting his lower lip in an endeavor to curb them. He reached his right hand down between Danny's spread legs to fondle the hot, dripping cock curving up to the man's heaving abdomen.

Danny's next throaty cry was definitely more piercing than before.

"_Aaahhh! _Oh, fuck, Don … ahh_ahhh!_" The CSI suddenly jerked violently. "Oh, _fuck_, I'm gonna _come_, I can't -"

Flack felt the erection in his grasp twitch hard. An instant later, watery warmth coated his hand. Danny went rigid, his head thrown back, baring that beautiful, long neck of his, his mouth open wide in a silent scream.

"Oh, yeah, _that's it_, Danny -"

The homicide detective's thrusts became erratic, going short and fast, then deep and slow. Flack's eyelids fluttered wildly. The constricting inner muscles around his moving cock made exquisite pleasure radiate from his groin throughout his being. He was so _close_ now, just a bit more -

Out of the blue, a familiar, faint wail disrupted his train of motion.

Both men froze at the same moment, Danny's sweaty body still shuddering at intermittent times in the aftermath of his orgasm, and Flack holding onto the smaller man's hips and almost bursting a vein in his forehead as he stayed motionless inside Danny.

Some invisible force was yanking at Flack's legs, trying to force them upwards into the air.

Ohcrap_ohcrap_, something _funny_ was going on here -

"Oh no, _Danielle!_" Danny's voice was all hoarse from his moaning and yelling.

"Danny, I think she's -"

Both his feet abruptly got pulled off the floor.

Flack let out a terrified shout, clinging onto Danny's hips for dear life.

Holy _shit! _

He was being _levitated_ into the air! While having _sex!_

Danny was crying out too as he was levitated along with Flack up above the couch, and he clawed his fingers into the back of the furniture, attempting to anchor them to something.

"_Okay_, this is _not _funny," Flack croaked out in a squeaky voice. He had enveloped his arms snug around Danny's midriff, stiffening his bent legs when Danny used them as props for his own flailing legs.

They were floating over five feet over the sofa, almost upside down thanks to Danny gripping onto the couch as he was. It was the weirdest experience of Flack's life, seconds away from achieving orgasm, buried to the hilt inside Danny and he was _freaking floating in the air like a naked Superman!_

Naturally, Danny found the bizarre, more and more kinky situation to be hilarious beyond description.

"Oh _man_, Don, this is - _this is _-"

It was not helping Flack at all that he could feel every shake of Danny's body around his aching cock as the guy cackled like a madman. It sure didn't help either that their baby girl was _very_ evidently awake and wailing and gurgling through the baby monitor on the coffee table near the couch.

Flack grunted and screwed his eyes shut at yet another fierce contraction of the inner muscles around his erection. Oh, fuck, he was going to _die_ before this was over -

Danielle burbled again, and then, no more noises were heard via the baby monitor.

The two men remained levitated in the air for a couple more seconds.

There was a strange, popping sound.

The unseen energy floating them up vanished.

"Whoa, _SHIII_-"

Flack wasn't sure what happened next. One minute, he was up in the air, and the next, he was face down on the couch, groaning in the _not-enjoyable-at-all _kind of way. A shooting pain somewhere in the left side of his back was encouraging him to stay exactly where he was.

"Oh my God, Don! Are you _alright?_"

Flack whined. He felt hands touch the back of his head and his upper back.

"I think I broke my back," Flack mumbled into the dark brown fabric under his face.

The pain seemed to recede as Danny carefully flipped him over onto his back on the sofa. He blinked, staring up at a worried Danny who was running hands all over his body, checking him over. He gave his body a tentative stretch, grimacing at the ache in his left shoulder blade. Then his face went slack, mouth in an 'o'.

Oh. He just had levitation sex.

How cool was that?

"My left shoulder blade. Think I hurt a muscle there or somethin'."

Danny gently hauled him up to a better sitting position, and got onto his knees on the couch to examine Flack's back. The homicide detective let out a mild groan when Danny began massaging the sprained area. Boy, that felt good. Danny always did have nicest arms and hands.

"Well. _That_ was a first," Danny commented with an amused smile.

Flack hummed in agreement. "I gotta admit it's got its good and bad sides."

That got Danny snickering. "We are _so_ gonna have a talk with our daughter the moment she knows how to talk. This levitation thing might become a problem."

The taller detective grasped Danny's forearms and tugged him down so they were face to face. "Gee, ya _think?_"

Danny snickered again. He ran both hands down Flack's fuzzy chest in a firm caress, gazing deep into Flack's eyes.

"We're not finished yet, Don."

They glanced downwards in unison at the erection between Flack's legs. Before Flack could say anything, Danny hushed him with a sweet kiss.

"Lemme do the work now," Danny whispered against his lips.

He watched Danny slide down his body to kneel between his spread legs, taking his hard cock in hands. Danny's blue eyes glittered in the moonlight. His tongue glistened as it snaked out to lick the white pre-come that beaded the tip of Flack's erection.

It didn't take long for Flack to be overwhelmed by his orgasm. Danny deepthroating him once, twice and sucking on the sensitive head was all it took for him to be blown away, body wracked by pleasure, his fingers curled up in Danny's spiky hair.

"Damn. And I wanted to carry ya over the threshold too," Flack murmured after many minutes of reveling in the afterglow.

The two detectives lay together on the sofa, Danny on top of Flack, with Danny's robe swathing their bodies. It wasn't cold enough for their legs to require being covered too, which was just fine with them. Flack thanked God for excellent heating for the second time that night. It allowed them to sleep pretty much anywhere they wanted in their apartment, including the living room.

"S'okay. You can do that tomorrow." Danny yawned into his neck.

Flack nuzzled his face into Danny's hair. "Wanna check up on Danielle 'fore we sleep?"

"_Mmm_, she's okay. I know," Danny replied.

Flack smiled. "Still think you've got some psychic connection with her, huh?"

"Mmm, maybe."

Danny was playing with the sparse hair on his chest, staring at the metallic wedding ring on his finger while he was it. "Don?"

"Hmmm?"

Flack felt a tender kiss on the side of his neck.

"I love you too."

Long after their final kissing session for the night and Danny was slumbering, a conscious Flack stroked his lover's lower back on top of the olive green robe, praying his thanks for all the blessings he'd been bestowed in his lifetime. And as Flack stared out the window at the falling snow, he figured the year ahead was going to be a pretty darn good one.

**Fin.**


End file.
